Not without my daughter
by naybaybay
Summary: A three shot based on the pics and promo for 5x16 "Hunt". Spoilers for 5x15 and 5x16.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't usually do episode centered stories, so I'm surprised even in myself that I'm doing this. I'm envisioning this to be a 2 or 3 chapter story based around spoilers, pics and the promo for episode 5x16 "Hunt". This is what I have so far. Lemme know if you think it's worthwhile continuing!**

**Peace and love,**

**Renee.**

**DISCLAIMER: Come on, do you think I would've been so cruel and creative as to create the heart-wrenching stuff that was 5x15?!  
**

...

Paris.

What, why, how, and at the hands of whom?

Questions the concerned father in Richard Castle desperately craved the answers to.

Within six minutes of Alexis's location being tracked, he was booked on the red eye to the same city.

As he hastily threw a few items into a bag, a photograph on his dresser of himself and a certain young female detective caught his eye. He thought about calling her. He'd told her earlier that if she promised to find his daughter without actually being able to do it, he'd never forgive her, and as his eyes panned over the photograph of the two of them, and on to one of his daughter piggy-backing on his shoulders, he only hoped that she could forgive him for not trusting her enough to fulfill that promise.

His mother was asleep upstairs, she had told him to try and get some sleep, he promised her he would, he neglected to include the words "on the plane."

Making sure he had his passport in his coat pocket and with a final call down to Eduardo who informed him his taxi was waiting, Castle stepped out of his bedroom and tried to act as casual as possible.

"Mr. Castle?"

He cursed silently, swinging around to greet the gaze of the agent.

"Are you going somewhere?"

"Um, yeah, I just- I need to clear my head."

The young agent eyed up the bag and Castle offered him a shrug. "My laptop, drafts... writing will help."

The two agents looked dubiously between themselves.

"Look my mother is just upstairs, she'll get you anything you need." After another moment of suspicious silence, Castle inhaled deeply. "Call me if anything happens."

He knew nothing would, unless he made it so himself.

...

The wheels touched down at Charles de Gaulle at 10:30am CET and after trudging his way through customs, he stepped outside into the blinding glare. The day was grey but rays of far away sun that shone from somewhere out in the stratosphere were harsh to behold.

He looked around and suddenly felt the gravity of his situation land on him like a ton of bricks.

He had a cell tower, on to which the cell phone Alexis had called him from had pinged.

That still left a large radius that he would have to cover in order to find his only child.

He jumped into the nearest cab and gave the driver the street address the cell tower was situated on. They drove for thirty five minutes, and though traffic was reasonably swift, the journey took far too long.

But then he would've given anything to be back in that cab. At least then he would feel as if he were heading to something, with some kind of purpose. When the driver dropped Castle off and the mystery writer stared at his surroundings, he realized he had come to a crossroads.

This spot was all he had to go on, and now that he was here, he realized how little that really was.

One foot in front of the other. He had anywhere up to twenty one miles to cover. The only thing he could do was to make a start.

...

Castle had been walking the streets of Paris for close to an hour when his cell phone lit up with the skype notification that someone was calling him. He lifted his phone from his pocket, hitting the green button before even glancing at the caller I.D.

"Yes?"

"Castle. Where are you?" The enraged face of his girlfriend slash partner greeted him.

Castle took a breath. "Where do you think?"

"Castle, what the hell are you doing? You're in a foreign country with nothing to go on but the coordinates of a cell tower..."

"It's not a foreign country, I've been here many times before."

Kate shook her head. "OK, but still, what are you even planning to do? Let's say by some miracle you actually manage to find Alexis and Sarah. What are you going to do then? You can't go into wherever they are without back-up."

"I couldn't sit in New York and do nothing, I had to be near her. You don't understand Beckett-"

"No, what I don't understand is how you could be so careless. If you find these guys, they could kill you Castle."

Castle's breath quickened as he felt anger surge through him. "Careless? I'm being careless? She's my daughter, Beckett, my only child."

"I know she is Castle, and I know how much you love her."

"No. No, you don't. You can't know."

He hung up on her.

Instantly his phone was alight with another call, this time from the loft. He closed his eyes, sighing. "Mother, you shouldn't be calling."

"Where are you?" Martha's frantic voice filled his ears.

"I'm getting my daughter back." He answered her straight.

"Oh Richard, this is not a crime novel anymore, you don't know what kind of danger could be lurking just around the corner-"

"I don't care, she's my baby!" He cried out, agony and desperation dripping from his voice.

"Richard, listen to me, there's something you need to know..."

But the only thing he got to hear was the sound of a gun clicking against his ear drum.

...

The van sped along a highway, Castle's hands were bound with rope and his heart was thumping in his chest.

"Where are you taking me?" Castle's nostrils flared with anger and fear as the two masked men remained steadfastly silent.

Castle knew it was pointless to ask anymore questions, but he was Castle and so he did anyway,

"What do you know about what happened in New York?"

Again, the masks remained silent.

The windows of the van they were in were tinted and so Castle was completely oblivious to what was going by outside of it.

"What do you know about my daughter?"

The driver of the van snarled something loudly in Arabic, making Castle jump.

"I just don't understand how you guys knew where to find m-" Castle stopped talking when the man in front of him grabbed him harshly by the collar and before Castle knew what was going on, the man with a very strong grip had Castle by the throat and with his other hand, punched Castle swiftly in the gut four times before throwing him back against his seat.

Castle slouched over, dizzy with pain. His head swimming with silent thoughts he would definitely not be voicing now.

He thought about his daughter, prayed that she was receiving kinder treatment than he was at this moment.

He wondered how they had got her and Sara SaraSaraSarato Paris from New York in such a short amount of time.

He thought about the last time he'd checked his watch, it had been 1:10pm, meaning it would've been 6:10am in New York.

That was roughly half an hour ago. He wondered how Kate had found out about him being away from home, finding it suspicious that his mother had called right after her.

That might mean she was in his home, the feds tracking him. Which meant that she now knew where he was. Which meant that she would find him.

Of course she would find him.

But then again, why should she make the effort? He'd been so cruel to her before leaving. He hoped she realized that he wasn't trying to be horrible to her. He knew she was doing, and would still now be doing everything she could to find his daughter. The truth was, it wasn't her that he would never forgive if Alexis never came home. It was himself.

He felt himself jolt forward as the van came to a stop. He hadn't even been counting the miles in his head, too pre-occupied with thoughts of his daughter and his girlfriend.

He heard the door slide open and then there were hands on him, dragging him out of the vehicle.

He stumbled over, his feet hitting rough ground. He stomped on it with his foot, it was grassy and a little springy, like soft clay. The smell of pine lingered in the air and he could hear a distant bird cry.

He was in the forest.

He heard the men around him talking animatedly in Arabic. He tried to discern any words he could, but he knew hardly any of the language and the men were speaking very fast.

There was a hand at his shoulder then and he felt himself being pushed forward. His legs complied and he let the men lead him forward into the parisian woodland.

There was more talking behind him, quiet and calm and it unnerved Castle more than anything.

Then, suddenly a gun shot rang through the air and the calm chatter turned into loud and alarmed shouting. Cries of pain sounded near him and he ducked, grimacing, eyes shut tight, ready to be taken down at any moment.

And then there was silence.

Then Castle was being spun around by the shoulders. The man who was freeing him was older, Castle put him in his early seventies, though he looked incredibly fit. He had a grey beard and was wearing aviator sunglasses and a black leather jacket, along with an army style cap.

He carried a rile.

"Who are you?" Castle wheezed breathlessly.

"I'm the guy who just saved your life", the man answered as he untied Castle's hands.

"OK, seeing as you're the one holding the gun... I'll settle for that", Castle gulped. Looking down at the four bloodied bodies that lay circling him. "Why?" Was his next question.

The older man shrugged. "You weren't one of the guys who was trying to kill me."

Castle nodded. "OK then... how? Four of them, one of you."

"Are you going to do what, when and where as well?"

Castle raised his eyebrows. "I was considering it."

The man with the gun shook his head. "Come on, we're not safe here, we've got to move."

"Where?"

"Ah, and we're another step closer to what and when."

"For God's sake, my daughter is missing, she was abducted two nights ago in New York and was last heard from last night in Paris. We think she was taken for necessity, alongside the daughter of a very wealthy and influential man named Anwar El-Masri. I don't know how much of this you're already privy to but I'm not in the mood to play games here."

"They weren't after the El-Masri girl. She was never the target. It was your daughter."

"Alexis?" Castle's mind went foggy with confusion. "Why would they want Alexis? I'm rich but not nearly as rich as the El-Masri's."

"It has nothing to do with wealth", the man gave Castle a look that conveyed deep sorrow. "They took her to get to me."

"To get-" Castle momentarily paused, trying to compute what the man was saying. "What in the world does my daughter have to do with you?"

"She's my granddaughter."

Every muscle in Castle's body seized up, the blood flowing ripely in his veins. "No." He gazed up at the man, whose familiarity now made sense.

"I wish we were meeting again under different circumstances Richard, but, yes... I'm your father."

...

The two men trudged their way through the bush.

"Why couldn't we have taken the van?" Castle asked with frustration lacing his voice.

"Van could have a tracker on it."

"Well, do we have to walk through the bush?" Castle complained as he was smacked in the mouth by the branch of a judas tree.

"It's safer inland, we won't be as easily spotted here than if we were on the roadside."

Castle caught up to his old man as the two of them continued trekking through the dense forest.

"I suppose you have a lot of questions."

"Yes, but only concerning my daughter and who exactly it is that has her... That's all I'm interested in." Castle made himself quite clear to his father, shutting down any intention the man might have had to bond with his son.

"Well, I don't know exactly who it is that has her... by that I mean, there's about four different possibilities, seeing as we're in Paris and those men back there were speaking Arabic."

"How do they know of Alexis's connection to you?"

"They know a lot of things, which leads me to conclude that at least two of the likely suspects are off the hook. So that narrows it down by half."

Castle narrowed his eyes at the man's inappropriate optimism.

"We're running against the clock here, which of the two choices is more likely?"

Castle senior inhaled a deep breath. "I don't like giving answers I'm not a hundred per cent sure of, but considering the circumstances I'll make an exception and hazard a semi-educated guess."

Castle stared at him expectantly until the older man nodded conclusively.

"I believe the man we're looking for is Christophe Prevot."

"And what did you do to piss off Christophe Prevot so severely that he would want to get back at you like this?"

"Prevot is one of France's most notorious human trafficking operators. He employs Arab men to select the virgin girls from their cities under the pretence of marrying them, then he transports the girls to various global ports where they are sold to the most vile low-lifes to ever walk the earth."

"He-" Castle felt his heart rip in two. "What does that mean for Alexis? For Sara?"

"Hey", Castle Sr. stopped in his tracks to turn to his son, trying to convey some reassurance. "They want me kid, they need her alive in order to ensure that I come to them. Just remember that"

"And where exactly are you being lured to?"

"Prevot has an estate in Orleans, it's about an hour and a half outside of Paris."

"I received a call from Alexis last night, it came from a building near a cell tower in the city."

"That could be the warehouse where they keep their imports. I know where it is."

Castle swallowed thickly.

"Why do they want you so badly?"

Castle Sr. kicked a rock aside, his lips twisting as he reflected on the story. "Six weeks ago, I busted one of their rings in Damascus, created trouble like they'd never heard of trouble before. In the process, I killed Prevot's son."

Castle's face darkened.

"I was sent to Damascus to hone in on the operation and try to put an end to it. I didn't pull the trigger but he was killed by a member of my team."

"And who exactly do you work for?"

"Does that question relate to finding Alexis?" The older man countered back. Castle just gave him a deep stare and continued walking along the forest trail.

"So how has their operation continued this long in Paris?"

"Prevot's family have several friends in the French legal justice system... And though that's not a issue I can't personally overcome, I've been primarily based closer to the sources of export."

"Are you saying that you're the only one capable of bringing their major operation down?" Castle snorted in disbelief.

"Yes, that's what I'm saying." He answered easily.

Castle raised an eyebrow, surveying the man who claimed to be his father.

"How did those guys know that I had come to Paris? How did they know exactly where to find me when they did?"

"With technology today, anyone can find anyone, kid. Me and technology are both the best and worst of friends. They would've tracked you down through your service provider. Had you been speaking on the phone when they found you?"

"Yes, I was speaking to my..." Castle paused. "My mother."

The corner of the older man's cheek raised a little at the mention of the redheaded bombshell.

"How is Martha?"

"Well, I'm guessing she's worried sick at this point. I wish I had my phone so I could ring her back. I should've got it out of that big guy's pocket."

"It's for the best that you don't have it. You can contact whomever you need when we get back into the city."

"You speak well for a trained assassin", Castle noted dully.

"I don't kill people for fun, Richard. For that, I do crossword puzzles."

"Which is your favourite?"

"The Times is good."

"New York?"

"London... Though New York isn't half bad. They have some good book reviews in there from time to time as well."

"London, New York, Damascus, Paris... You get around."

"It's the job... I'm creaming in the frequent flyer mile department", he offered Castle a half smile.

"The guy who was tortured back in New York. The driver of the van. Was that you?"

Castle Sr. turned slowly to his son, giving him a slightly maddening stare. "When it comes to family, you do anything."

"Family", Castle scoffed.

"It's a hard thought to grasp, but I know you a lot better than you know me, son."

Castle turned back around to glare at his father.

The older man winced slightly. "Look, I know I wasn't the best parent... Scratch that, who am I kidding? I wasn't a parent at all."

Castle's gaze did not soften as the man continued. "Truth is I was more terrified of raising a kid than I was of taking on a group of highly trained terrorists."

"Yeah well, you missed out", Castle offered him, not in the least bit ready to start sympathising with the man. "And I'm not saying that as a son, I'm saying it as a father."

"Richard, Alexis is an intelligent, street smart young woman..."

"Don't you do that!" Castle yelled in a fury. "Don't you pretend to know us."

"But I do know you son. You've no idea how well."

Castle, enraged at his father's level of calmness, picked up the old man up by the collar of his leather jacket and held him against a nearby sycamore tree. "This is all your fault you bastard, it's all because of you. I wish I didn't know you, I wish you were dead. And if she dies because of you then I will make damn sure that happens."

"I know Richard, I know how much you would like to hurt me right now, and I understand that. But I'm afraid that the very same reason you loathe me so much is precisely the reason you need to keep me around."

Castle and his father were practically nose to nose as Castle breathed rapidly and his father slowly choked against the collar of his jacket.

"I'm the one they want, and if I am dead, then Alexis is of no more use to them. I've told you what Prevot does to pretty young girls like her, and I know that you could never live with yourself if that happened to her. I am the only one who can save Alexis and end this thing for good."

Castle let go of his old man's collar and he dropped to his feet, running a wide palm over his bruised neck.

Castle snared at the older man with no trace of remorse whatsoever and turned on his heel, continuing along the long, winding track.

It took another four and a half hours for the two men to trek through the bush until they arrived back in the city of Paris.

Not a single word was spoken between them for the remainder of that journey.


	2. Chapter 2

Castle stood with the pay phone against his ear. He watched the man outside, standing casually against a parking meter, arms folded in front of him. On the surface, he appeared calm but Castle was a poker player and he knew people's tells. He could tell the man was nervous, on edge.

He narrowed his eyes at the man, not able to stop the hurt from seeping into his soul. This was his Father, there was no doubt about it. The way he moved, his gait, his face shape, his tall height, he was definitely cut from the same cloth as this man, and now, after years of fantasizing, dreaming, imagining, here he was.

Castle knew the best thing to do was to try to trust his Father, but at the same time he wasn't sure he ever could, or even wanted to.

He sighed in frustration as there was no answer on the other end of the line and he slammed the phone down on its hook.

"No answer from my people back in New York."

"It's for the best, the less anyone knows, the better", his Father replied.

Castle sighed again and began to walk ahead. He reached an ATM and withdrew some cash from it, purposefully glancing up at the camera above it, in a silent and hopeful plea of help from whomever was looking.

"You sure you got enough?" His father raised an eyebrow at him, a small smirk on his face.

Castle pocketed the two grand in cash, glaring at the older man. "Two grand's the limit."

His father gave a small grunt. "Come on, we better move, it'll be dark soon."

Castle gave a short nod, falling into stride with his Father.

"So, Alexis is a college girl now, huh?"

"Yeah, Columbia."

"Yes, I know."

Castle gave the man an annoyed look. "How exactly do you know all of this? Do you have people watching us all the time?"

Castle Sr. inhaled a deep breath. "I'm sorry about you and your wife."

Castle snorted. "Which one?"

"Well... Meredith. Gina is still your publicist so I assume the two of you get along well still."

"Ha. Well, not everything is as it appears on the surface." Castle said grimly, then looked at his Father again with a narrowed expression. "Who exactly do you employ to find these things out about me?"

"What makes you think I employ other people to keep watch over you?"

"Have I ever seen you? Have we passed each other on the street?" Castle asked him, his voice tinged with sadness, his eyes void of anything but pain.

"I try to stay concealed, try only to watch you from a distance. But yes, there have been a couple of times when I got close enough for you to see me."

Castle looked off to the side, trying to compute in his mind, trying to remember a time when he'd seen this man.

"It's New York son. The city famous for people not noticing. You didn't know who I was, why would you ever even offer me a second glance?"

There was another pause in the conversation, until Castle Sr. spoke again, only lower this time. "It's not like I'm there all the time. Sometimes, a couple of years will go by...", he swallowed. "April 1st, Nineteen-eighty-one. Your tenth birthday. Your mother took you to the comic book festival. I stood by the cardboard cutout of the green lantern while you perused the assortment of Avengers comics. I walked up to you and I asked you which one was your favorite... And you said-",

"Hawkeye", Castle said in unison with his Dad.

"That's right. And then you picked up a copy of the Swordsman and do you remember what you said to me then?"

Castle stopped in his stride, squeezing his eyes closed, trying not to let any emotion show. "I said-" he began, his voice soft and broken. "I said "I'm Hawkeye, this is my mentor, the Swordsman."

"Then you said, "He's kinda like my Dad", Castle Sr. told him softly.

Castle sniffed. 'Yeah well, I didn't think you'd remember that."

"I gave you a smile and I walked away. That was the hardest thing I've ever had to do... So, I remember."

Castle looked at his Father who had a stony expression on his face. Castle blinked and looked away from him again, continuing to walk along the streets of Paris.

"Just up here", Castle Sr. remarked when they reached the street that the cell tower was on. "Let me go in first, check it out."

"I still don't know if trust you."

"My policy is to trust no one. So...like father, like son" Was all his Father said before he started at a jog toward the building where Prevot's warehouse apparently was.

Castle ran behind him, letting the older man take point, holding his large rifle in front of him.

"This room's clear... Keep behind me though", Castle Sr. whispered strictlyThey walked further into the complex. "Stay here, I'm going to check the other rooms."

Castle watched as his father climbed the stairs to the upper level. Never one to stay put, he walked around the room, examining it. He took note of the security video that seemed to be playing on a loop. He squinted as he recognized the men in the video. It was the squat team who had infiltrated the farmhouse outside New York. He grimaced as they entered the building, knowing that Alexis wasn't found, knowing that their efforts were as futile as his were right at this moment.

"Clear up here, I'm not sure you want to see this though", came his Father's voice from up the corridor.

Of course, Castle immediately wanted to see what his Father was referring to and he raced down the hall, coming to a blinding stop when he glanced into the room.

It was small, very dark, the walls were cinderblock, it reminded him of the room where he and Kate were trapped, handcuffed together and nearly eaten by a tiger.

"Should have known better than to tempt you", his Father remarked.

"Yeah, I thought you knew me well", Castle retorted, stepping into the cramped room.

"This must be where they keep their imported girls. There's a bathroom and towels, fresh clothes and a gap under the door for a food tray. He took care of the girls Richard, it's not them he wants to hurt."

"But they're not here", Castle said softly.

"No, they would have known I was on to them after I took down those men in the forest."

"How would he have known?"

Castle's Dad gave him a quick glance. "Believe me, he has ways. He knew you were here, didn't he?"

Castle sat down on one of the camp stretcher beds and wrung his hands. "She tried to escape. She tried to get out, I told her to get out. It's possible she got away isn't it? I mean, she's so resourceful, she's smart, she could have gotten out, it's possible, i-isn't it possible?"

Castle Sr. looked at his son regretfully. "Prevot does this professionally. I think it's highly unlikely that Alexis or her friend would have escaped."

Castle's lips trembled, tears threatening his lashes. He spoke with a croak in his voice. "I just wish I'd had more time. I just want to tell her I love her again. To hold her again, even just to see her smiling, to see her alive... I'd give anything for that-"

Right then there was a banging from downstairs. Castle and his Father looked at each other before lunging for the door of the room.

"Hey!" Castle Sr. snarled at his son. "You stay back, you keep hidden. Do you understand?"

"But-"

"No, you stay alive. It's not going to end for you, not today, not because of your old man's doings."

Castle shook his head but stayed behind his Father anyway.

The rattling drew nearer, it was coming from the end door of the room, the door was heavy and it seemed whomever was behind it was having a hard time getting it open.

Castle Sr. braced himself, holding his weapon in position.

Castle Jr. meanwhile, breathed heavy puffs of breath, adrenaline coursing through his veins, he braced himself too, ready for gunfire, ready to confront the person who was about to come through the door... The door creaked slowly open and through it came a dark, shadowy figure in a long trench coat and...

Long, wavy hair.

"Beckett?"

"Castle", came a relieved voice, before he heard a sharp gasp. Castle glanced at his Father who still held the rifle in position.

"Hey, put that thing down, now."

His Father complied and stared between Castle and Beckett.

"What are you- how did you know to come here?"

Her slim figure shimmied through the room until the light descended on her. "Tracked your credit card. You gave me your login password five months ago, I opened your recent transactions and saw that you'd withdrawn a hard two grand out of an ATM just down the street. Then Ryan called me and told me he'd been able to GPS track the cell phone Alexis called from to this building. I knew you'd be here."

"But, why-why are you here?" Castle asked, blinking.

Beckett gave him a small reticent smile. "I couldn't sit in New York and do nothing." She echoed his words from earlier.

He gave her a look full of amazement and love. "You didn't have to-"

She silenced him, putting her palm against his chest. "Yes, I did. If people I care about are in danger, I'll always come. Always."

They embraced each other, each holding the other tight and close.

"I'm sorry to end this very touching moment but this place is going to raided within minutes. We have to get out of here."

"Who is he?" Beckett asked Castle.

"Kate, this is my Father - "

"47, just call me 47", Castle Sr. spoke, making Castle and Beckett look at him quizzically.

"...47, this is-"

"Detective Beckett, so nice to finally meet you", Castle Sr. stepped forward to take Beckett's hand in his own. Beckett stared into his face, making comparisons between the two men.

"Right well now that we're all introduced, we have to move", The older man instructed.

"Where are we supposed to go next?" Beckett queried.

"The estate in Orleans, right?" Castle piped up.

But his Father shook his head. "Not tonight kid, you need to rest, we've been walking all day, you're going to need your energy to take on Prevot."

"Wait... Prevot? As in Christophe Privot?" Beckett asked.

"Yes, you know about him?"

"Every law professional in the world knows about him. He's like a snake, and he has friends in powerful places, which makes him practically untouchable. The worst kind of criminal."

"Do you know anything more about him?"

"Just hat he trades women from Arabic countries, and that a month or two ago one of his shipments was boycotted by the feds."

"Did you know that his son was killed?" Castle Sr. asked her.

Beckett shook her head, looking the man up and down as he gazed back at her, there was something hesitant in his stance. "You killed him", she stated. "These guys, they're not after Sara at all, are they?" She asked the two men.

"Detective, if you want to help me stop Prevot and get my Granddaughter back, I welcome your involvement. But if you're going to get in my way by blaming me for things I am already paying for then I suggest you go home."

"Hey", Castle said dangerously to his Father. "Don't you speak to her that way. I trust her, she's here to help and help she will. Right Kate?"

"Someone's coming", Beckett responded in a frantic whisper. "We have to get out of here now."

The three of them headed for the door, pausing in the alcove when a masked man walked down the corridor in front of them. All of them held their breath, convinced they were about to be caught out.

But the man's peripheral vision was cut off thanks to the mask and he walked right by them.

"Go, go", Castle Sr. prompted the other two. Beckett and he began running as quietly as the could down the hall.

Beckett turned back, realizing that Castle wasn't following.

"Castle...What are you doing? Come on."

She quickly ran back to him, he shook his head. "I need answers, I need to know what's happening to my little girl, and they know Beckett, those men know."

"I know, but she needs her Father as much as he needs her. She needs you to be there when we find her and bring her home, Castle. Take it from someone who lost a parent. If that doesn't happen, Alexis will never be complete again."

Castle breathed deeply, his eyes darting down the hallway and then back at Kate. He let her pull him along and together they ran down the corridor.

...

The three of them escaped the building, the front was blocked by another masked man in a truck but luckily there was a side exit which was something of a drop but Castle Sr. went first and though he skinned his knee and elbow, he dusted himself off and helped the other two down.

"You two had better go into hiding somewhere. Take a cab and get out of the city, pay with cash", he looked pointedly at Castle. "And get a place to stay for the night."

"What about you?" Asked Beckett.

"I can take care of myself sweetheart. Been doing it for fifty years."

Castle and Beckett exchanged a glance, Beckett could tell he was contemplating whether to invite his Father to come with them but before he could answer, Castle Sr. pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to his son.

"When you get there, call me at this number, it's a secure line. We'll discuss when and where to meet tomorrow." He gave them a nod and a slight smile. "Take care of each other."

With that, the leather-clad man disappeared into the darkness.

...

Castle and Beckett took a taxi out of the city, instructing him to a quiet motel off the highway. They paid him his dues and went into the motel.

"Bonjour", the manager greeted them. Beckett took the lead and asked for a room in French. Castle could speak it too but his mind was too full of other things to recollect the French classes he took over twenty years ago.

When the room was arranged, Castle and Beckett were left alone.

"Damn", Castle swore, pacing around the motel room. "Those son of a bitches took my bag."

Beckett took him by the arm. "I had an inkling something like this might happen", her lips twisted into a coy smile as she produced a navy blue shirt from her travel bag. "I raided your drawer, I hope you don't mind."

Castle placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "Thank you, you're a life savior."

She gave him a warm smile before her her face turned serious. Castle returned her gaze and wrapped his arms around her as she ensconced him in her own. "I was so scared", she admitted, muttering into the shoulder of his shirt.

Castle pulled back and took her by the hand. "Come on", he told her, leading her to the bed to sit down.

He let out a long sigh as he sat down on the bed next to his girlfriend and partner.

She waited for him to speak and after more than ten seconds of silence, he did.

"I watched my Father kill four men today."

Beckett closed her eyes, she pulled him forward as she leaned into him, pulling their faces together so that there noses bumped. "Oh, Castle", she whispered.

"When he told me who he was, I felt so... let down."

"It's not his fault you know? Alexis being abducted. I know, it's to get back at him, but he's a good guy Castle. He's on our side. It's those dirtbags that took her and he is going to make them pay...And so are we."

"You know, he's been watching me...All my life, it seems. He's passed me on the street. He's watched me grow up... He knows who I am, he knows all about my life. And I don't know if it makes me feel better or worse."

"I'm sorry", Beckett choked out.

"Don't be sorry. You're here, you're here for me and for Alexis, you didn't need to be here, you've got nothing to gain from being here, and everything to lose, so-"

"Hey", she grabbed his face roughly in her hand. "I have nothing to gain by being here? Of course I something to gain. You and Alexis are... So important to me. You mean everything to me, Castle... Everything."

Their eyes danced together for a moment before Beckett pulled him into her and placed her lips gently to his, their lips taking over the dance.

The couple made love in the bed of the motel room, and afterward, they both lay feeling an empty kind of fulfillment.

"I don't want this to end tomorrow."

"Hey, it won't, it's not going to."

"We've been so close so many times..."

"No. No, it's not going to end, OK? It's not our time", Beckett smiled at him. "I'm not done with you yet."

"How romantic", Castle answered back.

Beckett swallowed. "What do you think about him? Do you think we can trust him?"

"I don't know. I don't know the guy... But I don't think I could ever trust anyone with my daughter's life."

She tightened her hold around his middle. "You're a wonderful Dad, Castle."

"Bit better than my own", he sighed deeply. "I'm just so... let down by him."

"Is it because he's not who you imagined him to be?"

"No, it's because he's exactly who I'd imagined him to be."

The detective placed a kiss against his chest, stroking her hand over his sternum as she tucked her head under his chin, keeping him close. His hand glided along her shoulder blade, keeping her even closer.

"I met my Dad today, Kate."

...

**A/N: OK, so obviously I included a "47" reference in there. I thought, wouldn't it be great if the whole 47 thing came down to Castle's Dad. "Agent 47 of the CIA."**


	3. Chapter 3

**Holy schmoly... I'm not even gonna try to talk about this chapter because I've been writing for the last 6 hours and it's 3 o'clock in the morning... Goodnight. "Snore"**

...

A little after two am that morning, as Castle and Beckett lay sleeping in each others arms, Beckett's phone began to ring.

The pair of them woke up, groaning.

"Castle…" Beckett gurgled, sleep dripping off of each syllable.

"I got it", he returned wearily, rolling onto his stomach and reaching down below the bed to pick up the phone. He put it to his ear, flicking on the bedside lamp and squeezing his eyes tight as the light assaulted them.

"Hello?"

"Hawkeye, it's The Swordsman. Don't say anything, I know you're on your girl's phone but we could still be being traced. The morro is a go, meet me half an hour before the time of day you were born, there's a significant landmark that should be easily recognizable to you, twice the distance from the home your mother lived in when we met to your favorite place in the city. Get some sleep, Hawkeye. She's safe for another night."

The cryptic phone call was ended when his Father hung up, disallowing Castle to say anything, not that he had planned to, or even could in fact.

_"Hawkeye, it's The Swordsman"._

Honestly.

How dare his Father try bond at a time like this?

Castle threw the phone down on the dresser and stood up from the bed with a huff. He took a glance back at his partner who was sound asleep again. It was no wonder why, she had flown from New York just to at his side while he looked for his daughter, it wasn't a small journey and she'd put her detective skills into practice the moment the wheels of the plane had hit the tarmac.

She deserved to sleep, though he couldn't now if he tried.

He replayed his Father's message in his mind:

_"Meet me half an hour before the time of day you were born"._

Castle was born at 8:30 in the morning. He would be meeting his Father at 800 hours.

_"There's a significant landmark that should be easily recognizable to you, twice the distance from the home your mother lived in when we met to your favorite place in the city"_

Castle wasn't familiar with any landmarks around the area outside of Paris, only those within it, but with a quick calculation, he recalled the fact that his Mother had lived in a dingy little studio apartment in Harlem at the time of his birth, and as far as he knew, she'd been there a couple of years prior to that time.

His favorite place was clear to him but how was it so obvious to his Father? Castle still couldn't wrap his head around ho intimately this stranger evidently knew him, but Castle knew to trust it.

His childhood home was two and a quarter miles from the New York Public Library – his favorite place in all of New York City. Which meant that whatever this landmark was, it was situated four and a half miles away from their target location – Prevot's estate.

Cast walked to the window, hoping upon all hope that his calculations were all correct, and that he and Agent 47 were on the same page. The concerned Father gazed out the window, and down upon the lights of Paris, which seemed to glisten far less in comparison to his dear New York.

He mulled over his Father's final sentence over and over again.

_"Get some sleep, Hawkeye. She's safe for another night."_

Sleep wasn't an option. And neither was the alternative to his daughter being anything but safe.

He climbed back into bed with his girlfriend and switched the lamp back off, muttering quietly to himself.

"You'd better be right, Dad."

…

It was 7:45 and a very confused taxi driver was taking Castle and Beckett along the highway, still not sure of his exact destination.

There were many old stone houses and a couple of buildings to be considered more a chateaux than a regular home. Nothing around here stood out to Castle.

He shook his head, giving up all hope, when suddenly, he saw it.

There was a long path which led to a restaurant. At the end of the path, the name of said restaurant was advertised on a large, hanging wooden sign. The name, written in black cursive with a picture of a large black, crow like bird; was "Le Corbeau".

"The raven", Castle said to himself, smiling a little at his Father's sense of humor. He knew from then that the man definitely knew him well enough that Castle should have no more doubts about it.

"Pull over here, s'il vous plaît."

"Oui Monseiur", the driver pulled over and Castle gave him what he owed, as well as a large tip for his trouble.

"You got your gun? I don't want to take any chances", Castle asked of Beckett.

"Right here", Beckett assured him, patting her jacket.

Castle nodded. "Stay on high alert."

"Castle, are you sure this is it? I don't see him."

"Well, we're a little early. He'll be here, this is definitely the right place."

At that moment, a maitre'd stepped out of the restaurant, squinting nervously in Castle and Beckett's direction. "Uh, pardon me. Are you Mr... Poe?" The young man asked.

Castle glanced at Beckett, raising his eyebrow. "Uh, yeah that's me."

"Follow me", he instructed Castle who followed the man, Beckett close on his heels.

The maitre'd led the couple through the tasteful restaurant, which, was of course, closed at this hour of the morning. Upon arriving out the back of the restaurant, Castle and Beckett found themselves in a garden which was bordered by a lake.

There was a canoe floating peacefully on the water top, and a man who stood beside it.

Castle's Father, of course.

"Non-audible, untraceable mode of transport that leads right onto Prevot's estate? et voila."

...

"So what's your plan of attack once we finally get there?" Castle asked his Father, annoyance evident in his voice at the physical labour of having to canoe four miles upstream. "I mean assuming all of our energy isn't consumed by that stage."

"Kid, you want to pike out and let me row this damn boat, you go right on ahead. Sit back, relax. Only pull up a bailing can and make yourself somewhat useful."

Castle gave his Father a look of pure contempt and Beckett rolled her eyes.

"Alright, there's no need for sarcasm. Just remember whose mess we're trying to fix here", Beckett shot at 47, making Castle smirk and his Father narrow his eyes a little before speaking.

"My plan is simple, believe it or not I don't want to have to kill anyone today." 47 informed the other two. "So here's what's going to happen. Prevot is expecting a shipment in today and since his warehouse has been abandoned, and I'm sure he's had no time to think to make other arrangements, we're going to send the lovely detective in, playing the part of a confused import who has just been dropped off by one of Prevot's many incompetent men."

"Wait a second...What?" Castle reacted defensively.

"Castle shh, go on", Beckett prompted 47.

"She will go up to the door, and Prevot will no doubt be distracted with her for a while, giving you and I time to find Alexis and Sara and get them out of there."

"And what about Kate in the meantime, and what about security? The girls aren't going to be unguarded."

"You're right, but son, I'm the best at what I do, I can take a couple of Prevot's clowns, no sweat."

"And I'll be fine, I can take care of myself and if things get out of hand, I am still armed, remember?"

But Castle shook his head emphatically. "No, no way. I am not risking the life of a person I love to save the life of another person I love."

Beckett's breath caught in her throat, but she recovered quickly, not letting it show too much. "Castle, it makes sense that I go in first, out of the three of us I'd be the least recognizable to Prevot."

Castle still looked terrified and Beckett took his hand, ceasing his movements as he rowed. "Hey. I'll be fine. You just get Alexis and Sara out safe, OK?"

Castle felt like it was the worst thing he'd ever agreed to, but he did so even still.

...

They pulled into a small bay off the lake and Beckett hoped out.

Castle's eyes widened as he took in the large mansion in front of him. "That's a hell of a big place to search."

"Don't worry Richard, as soon as we've got the girls to safety, we'll be going back in for your lady love here."

Castle stood up to help Beckett onto the bank. He leaned forward out of the canoe and took her head in his hand, bringing it forward to meet his own. "Be careful" he told her, his voice wavering.

"You be careful", she instructed him back. She pulled back from him and gave his Father a small nod before turning away from them and walking up the great lawn of the estate, toward the mansion.

He watched her go and then tried to climb out of the canoe himself but his Father stopped him. "Whoa there, we're best to sit tight until she's had enough time to attract their attention. We want her to cause enough of a commotion that our entrance goes as unnoticed as possible."

Castle shook his head at his Father. "Do you have any idea how unbelievably selfish you sound?"

"Hey, I am only trying to get Alexis out of there safely... And the El-Masri girl. It's bad enough losing your own child but being responsible for the loss of someone else's too?"

"Well that's what got us into this whole mess in the first place, isn't it? You being responsible for taking the life of someones child."

47 swallowed hard, glancing away from the harsh sting of his son's words. "If you had seen those girls. If you had witnessed what I witnessed..."

"So, because you were never be there for your own goddamned kid, you now feel it's your responsibility to protect everyone else's?"

Those words seemed to cut even deeper as his Father closed his eyes, taking in a shaky breath.

"I regretted it… I still regret it, every day. I left for a job when you were six months in the womb… Time I came back, you were walking. I watched you and your mother at the park, you slid down that big slide and she caught you at the bottom. You both laughed, and I knew right then that I had missed my chance. I knew that if I were to come into your life at that point, I'd only ruin it. Every job I went on would drive us further apart and I couldn't stand to see you break like that. To the little boy you were then, I was a nobody, just another face in the crowd… But I loved that little boy."

Castle could feel himself becoming affected by the older man's words, and he didn't want that. He needed to be emotionally stagnant right at this moment, blocking out anything that would affect clear thought and logic.

"Come on, she's been up there long enough now."

47 stood up and, without facing his son, said "We need to keep low, there will still be a couple of men floating around. If it's totally necessary, I can take them out but the less commotion we cause, the better."

Castle and his Father flanked around the back of the mansion. "How do we even know where to start?" Castle asked him.

47 reached into his back pocket and pulled out a smart phone. "Metal detecting app. I used this in Damascus to find their shipment. I saved the composite data and then re-loaded to make a comparison for the next time. If Alexis and Sara are being held in cages similar to the ones Prevot usually holds his girls in, this will tell us where they are."

"Wait a second, where did you get that phone?"

47 shrugged. "The waiter at The Raven."

Castle shook his head.

"Alright, so far nothing. We'll have to be standing right beside the right area to even pick up a signal anyway", 47 told his son as he scanned the area.

There was some animated chatter in Arabic nearby them and Castle Sr. pulled the younger man down behind a shrub, concealing the two of them as two men walked by.

They came out from behind the shrub and made their way hastily to the end of the mansion, keeping close to the wall.

"We may need to go up a level", Castle told his Father.

He could hear a lot of whooping and laughing going on inside the expansive home and he balled his fists tight at the thought of what might be happening to his partner right at this moment.

"Yeah, I think you're right..."

Castle shushed his Father. Somewhere near to where they were, he could hear a faint yelling. It was a female, and it wasn't Beckett.

"Alexis", Castle's head shot up and he threw all caution to the wind as he ran around the front of the house and pushed the side kitchen door open, excusing himself as he knocked into household staff.

"Richard!" His Father whispered frantically to him as he chased his reckless son through the house.

Something about hearing his daughter's voice made Castle react though, and the inexplicable need to see her, even if only for a moment before being shot dead, was driving Castle on.

Castle exited the kitchen and found himself in a parlor of some kind.

He barely had time to blink before shots were being fired. But none of them hit him. His Father took out the two men who were in there, and soon another one had come running and Agent 47 had rid him of his burdens too.

"Daddy!"

Castle's heart flew, gaining a new lease of life as he heard the voice of his daughter for the first time since she had skype called him in distress two nights ago.

"Pumpkin-" He ran to her entrapment and began trying to pointlessly pry the bars open.

"Hurry Dad, there are others, they'll be coming soon too."

"Stand back, kid", he heard his Father's voice and Castle stepped back just in time for a shot to go whizzing past him and blow the lock on the cage to pieces.

Castle flung the barred door open and pulled his daughter into his arms of safety.

The two of them hung on to each other for dear life, Alexis crying into his shoulder.

"Where's Sara?" Castle asked his daughter.

"She-she escaped back at the place in the city. I mean, I think she did, God I hope she did and they didn't just kill her."

"No, Shh sweetheart, I'm sure she's fine, and it's all over now OK? I'm here now, everything's going to be alright."

"Well, well", a cold, French accent filled the room.

Castle turned to see a man in a well-cut suit with slicked back jet black hair and glasses, smirking evilly and holding a gun in front of himself, pointing it, not at himself or his daughter, but at Alexis.

"I expect only to 'ave ze pleasure of killing you, Agent. But wiz your son 'ere, how can I deny zis kind of poetic justice?"

"You let my family go, Prevot. I'm here now, it's me you want so let them go."

Prevot laughed at 47 and then turned to Castle. "You think your little woman out zere 'ad me fooled? I could smell the stench of police on her from a mile away."

Prevot yelled out something in Arabic and two men bustled into the room, each with an arm laced around Beckett's.

"Get your hands off her... Put 'em up!"

Castle spun around, his eyes widened to see Alexis holding a gun in her hands. "Alexis!" He squealed. "What are you doing? Where did you get that?"

"It's alright kid, it's my spare."

"You slipped my daughter your gun?! She doesn't know how to handle a weapon."

Alexis shut her eyes in exasperation, turning to her Father. "Well now everyone knows that."

A shot was fired in Alexis's direction but it missed her by inches as her Grandfather shot at the assailant.

"Don't shoot!" Prevot yelled at the last remaining man. "Do not keel ze agent, he is mine. I want him to die at my own 'ands."

There was a tussle and Beckett out-maneuvered the last guard standing, taking her weapon back from him and shooting him with it. Prevot turned around to shoot Beckett but both 47 and Alexis (though severely unwisely) had their guns pointed directly at his head.

Ever the joker, even in times of great distress, Castle groaned to himself. "It's like the family business."

"I got him sweetheart, you take Alexis and get out of here", 47 instructed Beckett.

Beckett glanced over at Castle who gave her a short nod.

"Come on Alexis", Kate called Alexis over to her but the girl shook her head, tears spilling from her eyes. "No, Dad."

"Alexis, go with Beckett. Now."

Beckett crossed the room and scooped Alexis up in her arms, pulling the teen out of the room with her.

Castle closed his eyes momentarily as his daughter screamed for him.

"Well, I suppose it's just us three men." Prevot snared. "Which is exactly the way I always intended it to be."

"Whichever one of us you shoot, Prevot, the other one will make sure you die", 47 warned the Frenchman in a dark tone of voice.

"You're willing to die for your son, just as I am willing to die for mine."

A pair of clicks behind them, and the self-satisfied smirk of Prevot, made Castle turn around in fear.

He'd forgotten about the two Arabic men he and his Father had almost been caught by outside a few minutes ago.

"I suggest you drop your gun, son. Both guns are pointed at your 'ead", Prevot warned Castle, an evil glint in his eye,

Castle dropped the gun he was holding and raised his hands above his head. One of the men kicked him to the ground so that he landed on his knees with a painful thud.

"'Ow many months were you watching my shipments go in and out of Damascus before you took the life of my poor, sweet boy?" Prevot questioned 47 who still had his gun pointed directly in Prevot's face.

"Why does it matter? Point is the kid died doing your dirty work. At least I'd never let my son die for my mistakes, Prevot."

Prevot chuckled cruelly at him. "Oh dear. Turn around, Agent forty-seven. You are letting zat 'appen right now."

Castle couldn't believe his eyes when his Father actually turned to look at him, dropping his own guard, offering Prevot a free shot at him. But in just one second of time, Castle seemed to understand why. His Father gazed at him intently, his eyes full of remorse.

They spoke silent words to him. "I'm sorry."

And then there was gunfire.

And Prevot fell dead to the ground, followed by his two men.

Castle gasped for air, not sure what was going on. He turned around quickly, but didn't find anyone he recognized. Instead, around ten members of the French police stood in front of him.

He looked at his Father who looked equally surprised at the unexpected turn of events.

…

As it turned out, the maitre'd from Le Corbeau had rung the police after the men had stolen not only his cell phone but his canoe and seemed to be about to engage in illegal activities.

The police tracked the phone by GPS and it lead them to Prevot's estate. They knew which man to shoot.

Apparently Prevot was not liked among ALL French law officials.

...

Alexis and Beckett ran up to greet Castle, amazed and relieved. Beckett let Alexis run ahead, sensing the teenager's need to hug her Dad was greater than her own.

"I love you so much", Castle told Alexis tearfully. "And I am never letting you out of my sight again."

Alexis cried even harder, probably because she knew that he meant it.

"I'm going to go back to the motel and grab my things. I'll give you guys some time", Beckett called over to them.

"Are you nuts?" Alexis called back to her. "You're not going anywhere. When we go, we go together. Is that a deal?" She looked between her Father and Beckett who both nodded slowly.

When she was satisfied, she walked over to Beckett and wrapped her arms around the Detective.

Beckett pressed her cheek to the top of Alexis's head. "I was really worried", she puffed out, as if she was surprised with herself for feeling as concerned as she had.

The two women pulled back from one another and Beckett looked over to see Castle glancing in the direction of the mansion, where his Father has just walked out.

"Go talk to him", she instructed him.

Castle inhaled a deep breath and then finally nodded, offering Beckett a quick but warm smile.

He heard Alexis ask Beckett "Who is that guy?"

Beckett answered "Just a guy who helped us find you."

"Well, that must have been something of a success for you. Man who wanted you killed, dead himself. You, still alive, somehow... How the hell did that happen anyway?"

47 laughed. "I'm not sure I know, but I'll tell you, every day I'm still alive is a success, son."

There was a silence between the two men for a moment.

"You know Richard, if there was ever a time when I thought I was doing you and your Mother a favor by coming into your lives, I would have."

"Hey listen, I get it. Not every man has a Fatherly instinct within them."

"You do though, and yours is powerful. More powerful than any gun, or any criminal that could ever threaten it."

Castle glanced over at his daughter lovingly and had to agree with his Father on that one.

"I'm going to try to get to New York as often as I can", Agent 47 said, pocketing his hands. He received no response that held any kind of interest from his son and he pursed his lips into something of a sad smile. "Perhaps we'll pass each other on the street", he said thickly, holding his hand out to Castle.

Castle took the large, rough hand, weathered by years of fist fights and trigger pulling, in his own, soft, well manicured one. "Perhaps", he returned, no trace of a smile dressing his face.

The two men held each others grasp for a moment longer, and even when they relinquished, their eyes stayed still connected. Agent 47 nodded, walking away from his son.

"One question... I guess it's not really important but it's the one thing I've always wanted to know", Castle called out after his Father who turned around to raise a questioning eyebrow at him.

"What's your real name?"

Castle's Father gave him a soft smile. "Now son, I know you, remember? You'd never forgive me if I didn't leave you with at least one mystery to solve."

He then turned for the last time, departing so suddenly that it felt as if his presence in Castle's life over the past two days had been some kind of fantasy.

Castle chuckled to himself and walked over to his two girls. Beckett placed a hand on his shoulder, looking at him sympathetically. "I'm sorry he wasn't what you'd hoped for, Castle."

Castle looked at her and then at his daughter who was giving him the same sad expression.

He smiled down at them, wrapping an arm each around them. "Hey, look at what I've got. What more could I hope for?"

Beckett and Alexis returned his loving smile and they walked away from the awful place that had affected them all so much.

"Man, I could really use a holiday", he added. "I'm thinking Barbados. Who's with me?"

...

Epilogue:

Sara returned home safely to her parents who were greatly relieved to have their daughter back.

Alexis always believed that she and Sara were kidnapped to be sold to wealthy men.

Castle never told her about his Father. Nor did he ever discuss Agent 47 with his Mother.

His relationship with Martha only ever got stronger from that point.

She came with him and Beckett and Alexis to Barbados.

Two and a half years later, when Beckett and Castle were playing in the park with their one year old son, Beckett catching the boy as he slid down the slide into his Mother's waiting arms, laughing with her as she caught him safely; Castle thought he saw a man smiling at him and his family.

But by the time he turned back to check, his Father was already gone.


End file.
